Fidelity based on the Schema Memory Theory: An Experimental Study

A between groups experiment was carried out to explore the effect of rendering quality on memory recall and its relationship with the sense of presence. The study presented here incorporates a fundamental theory drawn from traditional memory research (schema activation) but adapted to fit computer graphics experimentation. This theory is based on the basic assumption that an individual’s prior experience will influence how he or she perceives, comprehends and remembers new information. This fundamental premise is built into an experimental methodology that assesses the fidelity of a VE simulation by linking this assessment with cognitive processes that incorporate newly perceived spatial information with older (semantic) perceptions of space. The computer graphics simulation is displayed on a Head Mounted Display utilising stereo imagery and head tracking. 36 participants across three conditions of varied rendering quality of the same space were exposed to the computer graphics environment and completed a memory task. Schema-based information related to memory for places, or room schema was ‘activated’ within a VE (triggered by the accurate recall of absent ‘inferred’ objects) similarly as it is shown to behave in traditional memory research for a real-world environment. Rendering quality did not prove to make substantial difference to the level of recall for various of the objects included in the study.